Patriots hope to quiet Seahawks, fans

Sunday

Oct 14, 2012 at 6:00 AMOct 14, 2012 at 2:18 PM

The Patriots were tied for last place in the AFC East two weeks ago. They were only a game out of first, but it was nonetheless an unusual position to be in for the perennial division titlists. A balanced offense augmented by hyper-drive capability helped the Patriots produce 83 points in the next two outings, both wins.

By Rich Garven TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

The Patriots were tied for last place in the AFC East two weeks ago. They were only a game out of first, but it was nonetheless an unusual position to be in for the perennial division titlists.

A balanced offense augmented by hyper-drive capability helped the Patriots produce 83 points in the next two outings, both wins. They're now 3-2 and reside alone atop the division, a game up on the ordinary Bills, surprising Dolphins and dysfunctional Jets.

Order has been restored.

“The thing about football is, the season was so young, and we were going through a little bit of a troubled time in the early part, losing those two games,” linebacker Rob Ninkovich said of consecutive setbacks to the Cardinals and Ravens by a combined three points.

“We've got a long way to go; we have a lot more games to play. I think that we've done a good job the last couple of weeks of focusing in on what we have to do and improving as a team.”

The Patriots will attempt to continue their ascending ways when they take on the Seahawks and their vaunted “12th Man” today at thunderous CenturyLink Field in Seattle.

“It's definitely important just to continue to do what we've been doing and try to get a run going so we can get some momentum,” Ninkovich said.

The Pacific Northwest is a personable area, but the New Englanders are going to receive the hostile treatment during their brief stay. It's nothing personal. That's the norm for any foe of the Seahawks.

CenturyLink Field is loud. Boeing 787 loud. Jacked and pumped loud.

A recent poll by espn.com listed it as the second-toughest venue to play at in the league. (M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, where the Patriots lost last month, was first.).

The Seahawks, who are 2-0 at home with wins over the Cowboys and Packers, feed off the frenzy. The Patriots' goal is to make them hungry birds.

“I think the only thing that can combat the noise is positive plays,” said receiver Deion Branch, who spent four-plus seasons in Seattle before returning to the Patriots in October 2010.

“Not allowing the fans to feed off the defense. That's when the defense is making more plays. If we continue to make positive plays, we should be OK.”

Ah, the defense. Therein lies the problem for the Patriots, who have scored at least 30 points in four of their first five games and lead the league with a 33.0 average.

Now that Brian Cushing is out for the season in Houston, there might not be a better defense in the league outside of San Francisco.

The Seahawks rank first in yards allowed (258.6) and second in points allowed (14.0). They have yet to allow more than 20 points in a game despite going up against talented quarterbacks Tony Romo, Aaron Rodgers, Sam Bradford and Cam Newton.

“They're very athletic,” running back Stevan Ridley said. “They have guys that come downhill fast. They're moving up front. Their secondary has good tacklers. They're a great defense against the run and pass. They can do it all.”

The secondary is arguably the best in the league. It's definitely the biggest.

The cornerbacks are 6-foot-4, 221-pound Brandon Browner and 6-3, 195-pound Richard Sherman. The safeties are 6-3, 232-pound Kam Chancellor and Earl Thomas, a 5-10, 202-pound Texas alum who made his first Pro Bowl last season.

“When you add all that together, you have a lot of long guys with big reaches and a lot of speed — everybody can run,” said coach Pete Carroll, who's in his third season in Seattle.

The Patriots created a league-wide buzz with their extensive use of a hurry-hurry-up, no-huddle offense last Sunday. The expectation is that, considering the success they had against Denver and the noise factor in Seattle today, they'll maintain that course.

Not necessarily, said the on-field director.

“I think we have several different tempos that we try to play at,” quarterback Tom Brady said. “Sometimes you go no-huddle; sometimes we have to slow it down. It's all really a matter of how the game is going and how we feel is the best way to attack the other team.”

No matter the approach, it will prove to be too much for the Seahawks and their blustery backers as the Patriots continue to trend upward.

Rich Garven's prediction: Patriots 28, Seahawks 13

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